The Division (Open) Beta Review- (XBONE)

This week I was able to delve into The Division Open Beta
and sink my teeth into a taste of what is to come.

The Division is based in a post-apocalyptic New York City.
Having been struck by a deadly virus the gross population is gone and a
majority of those left are considered to be infected. Only a small minority are
left, and you are one of these.

You are entered into this world having been resuscitated by
a shot of what can be presumed as adrenaline, delirious and seated across from
Faye Lau in a helicopter. She’s looking very beaten up herself and tells you
about the atrocities witnessed. You are here introduced to your role as an
agent for JTF, an agency fighting to control the chaos around them and keep the
peace in the city. You land at Camp Hudson and you are instructed to head
toward the Base of Operations and extinguish the threat present at that time. And
it is here you begin.

The city is looking decrepit and dilapidated, and it’s clear
that it is still an active warzone in many ways. Desperation has set in and
many people have turned to theft and killing to stay alive. A strong military
presence is felt, but the struggle to keep things in order is evident. The
streets are lined with abandoned houses and cars, many trucks have been left
still in the middle of an intersection. The street lights are still lit but
many of them are blinking, signalling that the power will only last so long.
And a somber tune unobstructively echoes around the streets, bringing all this
reality to bear with you.

It’s winter and the city is covered in snow and sleet. Every
step you take leaves a grey and muddy footprint behind. You are ever aware that
around the very next corner you may find yourself face to face with a new
enemy.

You are lead through the streets by a waypoint and the
method used to direct you there is a very effective one. An orange line sits
above you directing your steps through the streets. It’s difficult, though not
impossible, to get lost. Your HUD always shows you distance to your objective
and precisely what is required of you, keeping you on track at all times. And
your radar will alert you to any enemies upcoming, pinpointing where they are
by using sectors that narrow and illuminate more brightly red as the distance
between you decreases.

Holed up inside an old building, JTF have set up a Base of Operations.
The base certainly does feel hidden away as you walk through the hallways and
see all the rooms and areas you can unlock. The halls are ridden with armoured
officers guarding from any imminent danger and it creates a real feeling of
safety.

The character detail is very good and a lot of time has been
taken in bringing the people of the city to life. The theme of loss and
abandonment is delivered in smooth and rich voice casting, and you begin to
develop a connection to these people, you sense their struggles but among the
JTF forces there is also a measure of hope that things will change for the
better, that life can and will go on.

You are given your first mission to clear out the nearby hospital
and rescue the doctor there, and should you succeed she will have the means to
set up a clinic within your base. Although this mission presents a challenge,
it felt that there was a gradual introduction into what was required of you
before slowly turning up the heat. At times I felt fairly well suppressed and
it was a struggle to gain the upper hand again, but for most of the game it is
a very steady upward curve for difficulty and knowledge attainment.

As you step back outside you have a chance to check out your
map. The city is presented is a holographic, 3D style which allows both a side
on and top down view of the streets around you. You can zoom in and out quite
far which is great for pinpointing objectives.

At this point you are also able to check out the matchmaking
mode and this has been laid out in an easy to learn way, as are most of the
menus. You can find anyone you are friends with and easily join them or invite
them, and the transition from single player to cooperative is seamless. All activities
can be done via cooperative play or as a single player campaign. (Though I
think it’s far more enjoyable to share this world with someone else.)

You are given abilities which will aid you in the fight and
these are broken down into three categories: Medical, Technology and Security.
Each class has four abilities to unlock but you can only equip two at a time
across all three categories…this makes for careful planning. You unlock more of
these abilities by upgrading each of your areas at the Base of Operations. New
perks and mods will be offered as you progress and upskill your departments.
During the Beta most of the skills, perks, etc were still locked down.

Weapons are also able to be customized. From within your
menu you can fit mods to most weapons including cartridge upgrades, scopes and
grips. This can make all the difference between a good gun and a great gun-
something you want when an area boss is hot on your heels.

Aiming your weapons for an accurate shot can be a little
challenging to start as you are not always able to see very well. But the
crosshairs will always light up red if you have a viable shot. The HUD is also
great at giving you an always present count of your loaded and unloaded
ammunition as well as any grenades and abilities available to you. Hurling a
grenade is quick and easy and barely interferes with target acquisition at all.
I was able to quickly lob a grenade into a crowd of enemies and follow it up
with a round of bullets with no issue at all.

And while you have so many customizable items available to
you, it should also be said character changes are there for you to enjoy too.
As you move through the city and collect loot from backpacks, cupboards, loot
boxes and more, you will collect weapons, ammunition, medikits and even
clothing. This clothing is not useless as you might think but allows you just
that extra bit of fun with altering how you look. This can be anything from the
height to the depths of fashion sense and plays no part on your ability to
survive in a freezing climate- so its great to experiment with.

It's at this point I’d like to focus a little more on the
cooperative side of the game in two areas: 1) coop in mission modes, and 2) the
Dark Zone.

As you play through missions in a coop mode it’s a great
opportunity to figure out how you can play your joint skills to your benefit.
In the Beta there were 5 abilities open to unlock. These included a pulse which
would highlight enemies within a certain radius, a medic ability which you
could use to heal yourself and/or your teammates without needing a medikit, a
sticky bomb which is self-explanatory, a mini turret to hurl at your enemies
and obliterate them, and a shield to give you that extra security from upfront
attack.

By having multiple people on your team you are able to have
each person equip complimentary abilities making the task of each mission
faster and more efficient. While player one highlights enemies and uses a mini
turret, player two can use sticky bombs and replenish the team’s health. This
is such a clever idea and one that I think works so well and encourages team
play, and is also great for…

The Dark Zone. This is an area which you are made aware of
about 3 hours into the game. The Dark Zone is a walled off section of the city
that is said to be the worst infected area. It can only be accessed via a
safety checkpoint. As you set foot into the area your comms will go dark for a
moment before reinitializing, and this creates a great feeling of being
alone…and if you aren’t with a team you absolutely are.

The Dark Zone is an element of The Division reminiscent of a
PVP mode. During the Beta it was set up as an 8 player arena against AI enemies
where, were you playing solo, the other 7 people on your team would be players
designated as Non-Hostile Agents. You are given the option to work with these
agents or go it on your own.

Here AI’s are loaded with loot much like in the safer
section of the city. But items collected in the Dark Zone are of a higher
calibre, and so more desirable. The Dark Zone has an independent XP levelling
system which works toward your DZ rank, this in turn allowing you to open
special crates whose access is DZ level based. DZ money is also able to be
acquired here and will be needed should you wish to purchase from the DZ vendor
at each checkpoint.

Largely this area is independent of the safe zone, but what
you get in here you can send out to the un-walled city, and enjoy its extra
level of devastation. It should also be said that if you die in the Dark Zone
you drop your loot and it is able to be picked up by anyone. Thankfully you are
also able to recollect your things, if you get there quick enough.

You have to be careful who you shoot at in the Dark Zone.
Shooting one of your team mates brings on a new mechanic where you become a
Rogue Agent, and this means you’re a free for all target and survival is that
much harder. But should you die, you will respawn within the team and lose your
rogue status. Going Rogue can also be seen as a daredevil tactic- should you
choose to go it alone the danger is multiplied, but so are the gains. Being
able to loot your ex-team mates can prove to be highly rewarding if you’re up
to the task.

The Dark Zone throws one catch at you however as anything
you collect in this area is seen as contaminated and cannot be brought back
through the checkpoint. The only way to retrieve your prize is to head to the
extraction area, call for a helicopter and wait in what could potentially be a
very vulnerable and dire scenario for the helicopter to land. The loot is the
able to be strapped in a cartridge to the drop rope and is flown away. When you
return to the non-contaminated city you can retrieve these items via your
stash, which is essentially a locker storage area for weapons, armour and more,
and can be found at the JTF Base of Operations, or at Camp Hudson.

There is a lot to be said about The Division, and much more
that I just cannot cover- partly because there is so much but also because I
wouldn’t want to take that discovery experience away. But I truly enjoyed my
time in this world, both pursuing peace and creating havoc, and I will be
getting my hands on the final release and sinking my teeth back in as soon as I
can. I encourage you to do the same.